Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Systems Engineering

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

17 Ranked Colleges
875 Degrees Awarded
$21,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

Systems Engineering is the 164th most popular major in the country with 3,604 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, systems engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $90,261 and had an average of $27,803 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 875 systems engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 17 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in systems engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent systems engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the systems engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree systems engineering students.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Systems Engineering

#1

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s systems engineering degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Ferris also took the #15 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,889 for bachelor’s degree systems engineering students per year to attend Ferris.

Full Ferris Systems Engineering Report

#2

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s. Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s systems engineering degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Maritime not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $20,485 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Maritime

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 119 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students per year to attend UF.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF Systems Engineering Report

#4

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Kennesaw State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Kennesaw State University is a public institution located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KSU Georgia, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kennesaw State University is $17,221 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

Read more about Systems Engineering at KSU Georgia

#5

Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, Maine

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Maine Maritime Academy. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in Castine, Maine, this small public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s systems engineering students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree systems engineering students list, Maine Maritime has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Maine Maritime Academy is $23,239 for bachelor’s degree systems engineering students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Maine Maritime Academy Systems Engineering Report

#6

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UNC Charlotte is a public institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Charlotte, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,529 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Systems Engineering Report

University of Arkansas at Little Rock ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UA Little Rock is a medium-sized public school situated in Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 1 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UA Little Rock also took the #16 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UA Little Rock is $14,906 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at University of Arkansas at Little Rock

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s systems engineering students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at UIUC

#9

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

University of Colorado at Colorado Springs came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is a fairly large school located in Colorado Springs, Colorado that handed out 2 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree systems engineering students list, UCCS has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,486 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students per year to attend University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at UCCS

#10

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #10, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 52 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $15,016 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Arizona Systems Engineering Report

#11

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, George Mason University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also made our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend GMU is $21,048 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full GMU Systems Engineering Report

#12

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #2 spot in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $20,397 for bachelor’s degree systems engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at University of Virginia

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 6 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $35,428 for bachelor’s degree systems engineering students per year to attend Case Western.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Case Western

#14

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia

George Washington University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s systems engineering students in 2019-2020.

GWU also made our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for George Washington University is $33,719 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full George Washington University Systems Engineering Report

#15

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, New Jersey
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Stevens Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s systems engineering students in 2019-2020.

Stevens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stevens Institute of Technology is $37,588 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Systems Engineering at Stevens

#16

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 70 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s systems engineering students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $26,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Systems Engineering at Washington University in St Louis

#17

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Systems Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s systems engineering degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree systems engineering students list, UPenn has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Systems Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for Bachelor’s Degree Systems Engineering students per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UPenn Systems Engineering Report

Switch to a Similar Major

General Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Engineering

Agricultural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Agricultural Engineering

Biomedical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Computer Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Computer Engineering

Engineering Mechanics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Mechanics

Engineering Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Science

Materials Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Metallurgical Engineering

Marine Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Marine Engineering

Ocean Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ocean Engineering

Textile Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Textile Engineering

Construction Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Construction Engineering

Industrial Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Industrial Engineering

Operations Research
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Operations Research

Geoscience Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geoscience Engineering

Electromechanical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electromechanical Engineering

Biochemical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biochemical Engineering

Biological Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Biological Engineering

Energy Systems Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Energy Systems Engineering

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

Architectural Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Architectural Engineering

Ceramic Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ceramic Engineering

Civil Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical Engineering

Engineering Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Physics

Environmental Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Environmental Engineering

Mechanical Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Mining Engineering

Nuclear Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Nuclear Engineering

Petroleum Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Petroleum Engineering

Polymer & Plastics Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Polymer & Plastics Engineering

Forest Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Forest Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Manufacturing Engineering

Surveying Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Surveying Engineering

Paper Science & Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Paper Science & Engineering

Robotics Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Robotics Engineering

Engineering Chemistry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Chemistry

Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Other Engineering
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Engineering

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to luis gomes.

Featured Engineering Schools

Find Schools Near You